Drawn to Life: The Innocence of Sock
by Skitty Cecil
Summary: Sock loves to travel, and he's always wanted to see the legendary Turtle Rock. But when he gets there, he finds out that the other Raposa have had some rather bad experiences with with his doppelgänger! Can Sock prove that he's the real deal and gain the trust of the Raposa village?
1. Chapter 1: The Fellow With White Hair

(Author's note: This is based on my Drawn to Life Headcanon/AU in which Sock was actually not entirely a creation of Wilfre's, but instead Wilfre stole his hat and impersonated him. This is my first fanfiction, so I hope you enjoy!)

Our story begins on the little island of Country Farms. It was a sweet, pretty little place with a very rustic atmosphere. The town's mayor was an elderly Raposa named Carter, and he was a very good, qualified mayor indeed. But this story is not about him, or even his son, Jimmee, who was next in line and also very qualified to be mayor. Instead, this story is about his grandson, Sock.

Sock was a goofy, kind lad who had a lot of energy. He was named for the big old sock that he wore as a hat, which he'd taken quite a shine to as a baby. It was grass-green with yellow stripes, a yellow cuff and a yellow patch at the top. His favorite outfit consisted of a pale yellow shirt, red overalls, and, of course, his hat. Every day, Sock would take care of the Dodos on his family's farm with the help of his faithful Rapo Dog, Barkly. After he was finished with that, he'd go down to the center of the village and socialize with the other inhabitants of the island. It was a good life, indeed.

It was a dreary day in Country Farms, and Sock and Barkly were going into town in order to get some supplies to prepare for the coming snowstorm. It was supposed to be a quite heavy storm, and the wind had already started to blow quite viciously. Sock had just picked up some firewood and was getting some food at the local market, when somebody bumped into him.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Sir! I didn't see you there." Sock exclaimed to the stranger, surprised.

"It's no fault of yours, I wasn't looking where I was going." The other Raposa replied calmly. He was very pale, with piercing blue eyes and hair that was completely white. He wore a blue jacket, and seemed to be quite cold.

"Alright, Sir." Sock said, glad that this new person didn't seem to be angry at him. "So, are you preparing for the storm, too?"

The stranger looked quite surprised.

"A storm? How bad do they say it's going to be?"

"I don't know exactly, but my Grandfather thinks everyone should be prepared to stay inside for quite some time."

The pale-furred Raposa looked quite sad.

"I've just arrived in this village," he said, "and I have no place to go. I don't even know anybody else here. I guess I'll just have to stand out here, freezing in the storm."

Sock didn't really know this guy well, but he wasn't about to let a kind stranger freeze to death.

"No, that's not true!" Sock told the man. "You know me, although we haven't even exchanged names yet. But let's change that now! My name's Sock, and this here is my Rapo Dog, Barkly." Barkly barked, as if to say, "Hello!"

"Greetings, Sock and Barkly. I am called Wilfre."

"Well, Wilfre, you can stay with my folks and I for as long as the storm lasts! I'm sure they won't mind."

Wilfre looked surprised.

"Are you sure, Sock?"

Sock nodded.

"Yeah, we've got enough room in the house for one more. So once I'm done in the market here, let's be off!"

Wilfre helped Sock and Barkly carry the food from the market all the way to Sock's house. During that time, they chattered on and on. Within minutes, it was as if they'd been friends for years! And Sock was right about his family; they were willing to give a poor man shelter from a raging storm. Pretty soon, Wilfre had captivated them all with his charming personality, and Sock was sure that he'd found a new friend.

Later that night, after everyone else had all gone to bed, Wilfre and Sock were sitting by the little fireplace. Barkly was sleeping soundly by Sock's chair. Wilfre suddenly turned to his fellow Raposa.

"That's a very nice hat you've got there, my friend." He remarked

"Why, tha-" Sock tried to speak, but was cut off.

"Sock...," Wilfre inepterrupted, "Thank you."

"Well," Sock replied, happily, "I can't just leave someone out in a storm like this. You're welcome, Wilfre."

The pale Raposa smiled strangely.

"Not just for that...," he said, "but for this!"

"What do you me-" Sock tried to say, but was cut off again.

All Sock could see was chaos unfolding. Wilfre's eyes went completely blank, and his body became shrouded in darkness as he lunged towards the one who had so kindly offered him shelter. It was a truly nightmarish sight. He pulled the green hat right off of Sock's head, and all the little Raposa could do was gasp in horror. Wilfre put the hat on, and for a moment, a perfect double of Sock stood by the hearth as the fire went out, making the room mostly dark, save for a candle in the window. In shock, the young lad fainted as his doppelgänger jumped straight up the chimney and into the dark of the night. All this commotion had awoken Barkly, who barked so much that Sock's parents, Jimmee and Leesa, woke up as well. As soon as they saw their fainted son, they immediately moved him to his bed.

Sock woke up around mid-morning the next day. His parents were there, and they asked him questions such as "What happened?", "Where's Wilfre?", and "Where's your hat?". But Wilfre had done much more than simply intimidate our hero that night. For all Sock knew, Wilfre had just left earlier that morning, and his hat had simply been blown off his head by the storm.

Little did Sock know that in time, he would come to find out that this was all part of something bigger than he could even imagine.

(Author's note: That's it for chapter one! Please feel free to favorite, write a review or possibly even follow me if you liked it!)


	2. Chapter 2: Decisions and Discoveries

Chapter 2

Decisions and Discoveries

Several months passed. Sock had seen neither hide nor hair of Wilfre or his hat ever since that night. Wilfre, he was sure, would pass by the island some other day, so they were at least somewhat likely to meet again. Sock was almost certain, though, that his hat was lost forever. He'd tried on other hats, but none of them felt the same. In short, Sock missed his sock.

But as the little Raposa was walking along shoreline one day, with Barkly in tow, he realized that these troubles were about to come to an end. Barkly, who had been helping his friend look for seashells, saw an object that had seemingly just washed up onto the shore. It was small, green, and smelled of sea salt. Now, there are many items that could've potentially fit that description, but the Rapo Dog knew exactly what this one was, and so he started to bark. Sock, hearing this, went to see what his friend wanted so desperately to point out to him. When he saw what it was, the Raposa gasped. It was his hat!

"Where have YOU been, little buddy?" He said, surprised. After the hat had been blown off by the wind, or so he thought, Sock was sure it was gone for good. And yet here it was, in his hands again! It was too wet to wear, so he and Barkly went back home so that the hat could dry. As they walked, Sock had a thought, which he immediately shared with Barkly.

"You know, Barkly...I just had a thought." He started.

"I just realized...this hat's been on more of an adventure than I ever have. I can just tell that it's encountered a lot of interesting Raposa in these past 7 months. And yet I, its owner, have barely ever left Country Farms in my life, except for that ONE trip to Watersong when I was seven!"

Barkly barked, as if to say, "I get what you're saying."

They arrived back home, where Sock left his sock out to dry. Pretty soon, it was dinnertime. As he and his family sat down for a nice meal of BBQ Banya, he told the others all about how he and Barkly had found his long-lost hat. The young Raposa then decided that it was time to tell his family about what he had realized before.

"But where would you go?" His mother, Leesa, asked after he had finished.

"I still don't know yet, actually. I haven't exactly figured everything out yet." Sock replied.

Sock's Grandfather, Carter, started to speak.

"I have heard," he began, "of a place known as Turtle Rock. It is supposedly a very beautiful island that floats freely around the sea. As the name suggests, it is said to strongly resemble a turtle. I don't exactly remember the entire story, but they say it rose out of the sea to aide a group of Raposa when their home village had been destroyed by some mysterious force."

This made Sock very excited. "So...if I travel by boat in any direction, I'm bound to find it sometime!"

"Indeed, my son." Replied his father, Jimmee. "And if it is what you wish, then you may leave as soon as you'd like. In fact, you can take my rowboat."

"It's decided, then! I'll leave tomorrow morning."

Barkly tugged at a leg of his pants, as if to say, "Hey, you'll bring me along, too, right?"

Sock nodded in understanding. "Of course I'd bring you along, too!"

After everyone had finished their dinner, they all went to bed.

The next morning came, and Sock was as ready as ever for his upcoming trip. He'd packed all the usual stuff; lots of food, some warm blankets and pillows, a fishing pole and some bait, extra clothes, a deck of cards, a bone for Barkly and an overly long sweater. He said goodbye to his family, promising to return someday soon, and then he and Barkly were off. Sock was excited to meet the citizens of Turtle Rock. To him, they were all strangers, who could potentially become friends.

But for the Raposa of Turtle Rock, Sock's arrival would soon bring chaos.


	3. Chapter 3: All Roads Lead to Turtle Rock

(Author's note: Sorry I haven't updated in forever! School and preparations for Comic Con have been getting in the way. But anyway, I hope you guys all enjoy Chapter 3!)

Chapter 3

All Roads Lead to Turtle Rock

A few days passed, and Sock and Barkly were still out at sea. Meanwhile, on Turtle Rock, another young Rapo was fishing in the sea near the island's dock. He'd been asked to supply some fish for the local chef, Cookie, to make mayonnaise from. And who was he to deny a request from Mari? The Raposa had just caught a fourth Blowfish and was removing the hook from its mouth, when suddenly, he saw something in the distance! He pulled down the goggles on the top of his head, and although he couldn't make out any specific details, he could make out the shapes of a Raposa and a Rapodog coming closer on a little boat.

Sock and Barkly saw the stranger at the same time he'd seen them. Thinking that they'd probably reached Turtle Rock by now, Sock rowed closer, and Barkly barked excitedly. The stranger was just as interested in meeting them as they were in meeting him. But as the pair came closer, he became interested for an entirely different reason. That Raposa on the boat...he'd seen them before. But that was months ago...he should be gone forever now...right? He was feeling nervous, even more so than any time when Mari got angry with him. And speaking of Mari, she was walking towards him right now! She was about to make a remark about the nice bucket of fish she saw sitting there, but when she noticed Sock coming closer, she too was shocked.

"Jowee..." She whispered to her friend, who had been the one to see Sock first. "Do you think...do you think it's really him?"

"I don't know, Mari...could just be a coincidence." Jowee replied, returning his goggles to the top of his head.

"Well...let's just try to act natural, then." Mari said nervously.

Jowee then turned to Sock, who had reached the shore by now and was getting out of his little boat.

"Hey, what's your name?" He asked the newcomer.

"Well, uh, my name's Sock. And here's Barkly." Sock replied.

 _Sock. That's exactly what HE called himself_ , thought Jowee, and he could tell Mari was thinking the same.

"And why are you here?" He inquired, struggling to maintain his composure.

"Well...basically, I just kinda decided to see the world, and I ended up here."

Jowee smiled a little, because this Raposa reminded him of himself. Under better circumstances, they could be great friends.

"Well...hello, Sock. My name's Jowee, and this here is Mari. She's the mayor around here."

Mari nodded. "Hi. Shall we introduce you to the rest of the village?" She asked.

"Why, of course! It would be an honor to know all the Raposa of Turtle Rock!" Sock replied, and Barkly barked in agreement.

Jowee went off to gather the villagers, and Sock was finally able to get a good look at the village. It was a small yet beautiful place with a few buildings. Most of them were just normal houses, but some in particular stood out. Behind him, Sock saw a large, important-looking wooden building with what looked to be some kind of face carved into the top of the roof. Behind that was a smaller, metal building that had some sort of giant compass above the door. Several feet southwest of where Sock was standing, he saw a funny little shop with a propeller on top. On the Far East side of the island, there was a large tree, which held a pretty little treehouse. On each side of the treehouse' main ladder, there was a statue, each a bit taller than the average Raposa. Sock couldn't quite make out their shapes from where he was, but he could already tell that they were important.

Finally, Jowee came back with the rest of the villagers. Among them, Sock could see a pirate, a vampire and a pop star, complete with a couple of adoring fangirls. The Raposa of Turtle Rock sure seemed to be an odd bunch. As soon as they saw him, many of them gasped. This confused Sock. Hadn't these Rapos ever seen a visitor before?

"Hello, ladies and gentlerapos..." Mari started, clearly worried about how the others would react to what she was about to say. "I'd like to welcome a visitor to our town. His name is...well, everyone, please try to stay calm about this...his name is Sock."

There was a murmur throughout the crowd. Some of the villagers seemed confused, others angry, some even on the verge of tears. But as he looked out past the crowd and to the big tree, Sock saw...someone. They were clearly a Raposa, but other than that, he couldn't make out any specific details. It was as if there was something covering them. Whoever this Rapo was, they seemed to be much calmer than anyone else on the Island at the moment.

Sock's attention diverted to one of the villagers, whom had decided to speak up. He was very shaggy, with a white, fluffy beard, a deranged look in his eyes, and a leaf on his head. He looked more like a Rapodog than a Raposa, but neither Sock nor Barkly said that out loud.

"CrazyBarksrecognizesail!" Shouted the strange Rapo, who was called Crazy Barks. "CrazyBarksonceusedsail. Butsailgotoldandboring. CrazyBarksthrewawayoldsail. Bark bark!"

"What Crazy Barks is saying," said Jowee, translating, "Is that he once used a hat exactly like yours as a sail for Turtle Rock. But he found something better, so he threw the old hat into the ocean."

"But where did you get it?" Sock asked. He'd thought his hat was unique, but maybe not.

"There was a Rapoman-" Began a little Rapogirl, who was then stopped by her father.

"Cindi," Her father whispered, "We don't know exactly who this Rapo is." He then turned to Sock. "Don't you think YOU should know that yourself?" He said coldly, and many of his fellow Raposa nodded.

"There's no need to say more! We've heard enough!" Shouted someone in the back, and many others agreed. They joined in the shouting, with things such as "Send 'em back the way he came...from below!" and "You can't fool us again!"

"Please, let Jowee and I try to explain..." Said Mari, in an attempt to clam everyone down. It didn't work, but then, a few short, yet loud whistles were heard as two important-looking Raposa stepped up. One of them, whom had been the one to blow the whistle, had white and tan-streaked fur, wore a classic blue police uniform, and was taking a bite out of a donut every few seconds. Overall, he seemed very refined. The other had fur which was an intense shade of yellow and wore a leather jacket and jeans, complete with sunglasses and a white shirt underneath. The first Raposa began to speak.

"Now, now, everyone..." He started, "Although this is very strange, we must all try and stay calm. We can't jump to conclusions this quickly, alright? Alright. After all, I too have made mistakes in judgement."

At this, Sock saw a silver-furred Raposa and his daughter in the crowd, both breathing a sigh of relief.

The cop continued. "But that's not saying that I completely trust him, either. In fact, officer Unagi and I are both ready to throw this Rapo off the island if we are needed to do so. Do you have anything to say as well, Unagi?"

The yellow-haired Raposa nodded. "Cricket, I completely agree. I say he is innocent until proven guilty. Okay, everyone?"

There was a murmur amongst the crowd, but they definitely seemed a bit calmer than before.

"So...why are they all so afraid of me? What have I done wrong?" Sock asked.

"What HAVEN'T you done wrong?!" Shouted someone in the back, who was, in fact, the same Rapo who had started all the shouting before. But nobody joined in this time, and so he quieted down.

Mari wasn't entirely sure how to word her response, but she tried her best anyway.

"Well, you see...several months ago, someone stole the color from our original village, which is why we all live on Turtle Rock now. We went out to save our friends, whom he had taken via portals. On our journey, we met someone who looked exactly like you and also called himself Sock, claiming that he was on a journey back to his hometown after being taken into a portal by the same person. We trusted him, even considered him one of our closest friends. But then...then..." She couldn't go on any longer, so Jowee began to speak.

"You see...we'd been using a magical pendant given to us by a very special friend to help us navigate. One day, as we were about to try and get to our next destination, Sock- the PAST Sock- asked me if he could see the pendant. I said yes and gave it to him, and...he ran to the island's shores and threw it into the ocean. Of course, we were all very panicked and confused, but then he revealed himself...he revealed himself as the dark monster he truly was...the one whom had stolen all of our village's color..."

All this scared Sock. An impersonator...a dark monster...

"What was this person's name?" Sock asked nervously.

"His name was..." Jowee replied, as if he was hesitant to even say it. "Well, you see...his name was Wilfre."

Sock froze. It was quiet on the little island, but in his head, everything was going crazy. Wilfre? That nice man whom he'd so kindly offered shelter to all those months ago? No, it couldn't be, could it? He felt himself grow dizzy, as if he were about to faint. He tried to look for the tall figure he'd seen before. Surely whoever this was would come to offer some sort of guidance, or say that this was all a mistake? He looked to the large tree where he'd spotted the mysterious Raposa before.

But the shadowy figure was gone.

And suddenly, everything went dark.


End file.
